


Sick of the Jokes

by the_witching_hours



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 19:25:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11214657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_witching_hours/pseuds/the_witching_hours
Summary: Dumb blonde jokes… they aren’t all that funny, and sometimes, they hurt





	Sick of the Jokes

**Author's Note:**

> Y/N: your name | Y/L/N: your last name
> 
> I’m a natural blonde, but I dye my hair. I have heard every dumb blonde joke there is, and yes, they do sorta hurt my feelings still, kids can be cruel.

The monthly shopping trip, no one’s favorite task, but you’d go every time. Not because you wanted to go, but because you needed something in particular, and you didn’t want to explain it to the others. Most of the time you would make the trek alone; being that you were the team member that was the least in the public eye, but occasionally Sam or Clint would come along. When that happened, you made didn’t pick up your necessities. You tried to make sure that you had more than one to spare, but this month, you were out, and you needed it. So of course, Sam  _ and  _ Clint tagged along.

“Ready to go?” you asked, pulling a beanie over your head as you walked out of your room.

“All set,” Clint replied.

“What’s with the hat Y/N? It’s not cold outside,” Sam asked loudly, walking up behind you.

“Bad hair day,” you muttered, pulling out of his reach as he lifted a hand, undoubtedly to remove your hat. It wasn’t far from the truth really. Your hair was fine, except for the blonde stripe of your roots showing through the dark dye you’d been covering it with; it was time for a touch up. Sure, you could go to a salon, you could afford it, but you didn’t want anyone to see you. You may have been the least visible of the team, but you were still recognizable.

Neither of the boys brought your attire up after you left the tower. You made several stops on your outing; a small grocery for Nat’s favorite chocolate and Wanda’s special paprika, a specialty leather shop for Bucky and Steve’s jackets, a metal shop for Sam to get some pieces for Redwing, and a drug store. Those of the team who weren’t super-soldiers needed to stay stocked up on allergy meds, it also afforded you the opportunity to grab your dye.

You tried to be covert, you were one of the sneakier people on the team really, but Clint was there. Even if Sam was oblivious, which he usually was, Clint was one of the most observant people you’d ever met, and he would, no doubt, point your movements out to Sam. Which is exactly what happened. You had tried to ditch them at the car, tried to tell them you’d “forgotten something” so you could duck back in alone, but they stuck to you like glue. 

So there you were, in the hair dye aisle, trying to ignore the two loud men behind you. You chose not to answer any of their questions, but the longer you stayed silent, the more insistent they became. 

You exited the elevator on the common floor, and they were still badgering you. 

“C’mon Y/N! Just tell us!”

“You don’t and we’re gonna make assumptions!”

“Well you know what they say about assuming,” you hedged, trying to slip away.

“No, what?” Bucky spoke up from the kitchen. You hadn’t seen him there, but he was at the sink, a glass in his hand, Steve was across the counter, Nat beside him.

“Makes an ‘ass’ out of ‘u’ and ‘me’,” Tony responded, entering the room from the hallway, “who’s assuming what now?”

“Y/N bought hair dye and won’t tell us why,” Clint whined.

“Who cares,” Nat spoke up, walking around the counter and up to you, “you get my chocolate  _ sestra _ ?”

You smiled at her and handed her the package, you could have kissed her for that, but her attempt to divert the boys attention didn’t work.

“Hair dye? Why’d you wanna change your hair Y/N?” Steve asked, seeming genuinely curious.

“Pfft, real question is why are you doing it yourself? Go to a salon, get a professional, hell I’ll make you an appointment myself,” Tony snorted.

“Seriously guys, leave it alone. I don’t ask you for every detail about your lives,” you snipped.

“Aw c’mon Y/N, we wanna know! We’ve got super spies on the team, we’ll find out eventually,” Sam chided as he slipped up behind you and rubbed the top of your head, jostling your beanie. Panicked, your arms shot up and readjusted it, yanking it back down.

“And what’s up with the hat kiddo,” Clint added, “we’re inside.”

“Back off you guys.” You spun around and pushed Sam back, but Tony had crossed the room, and pulled your hat off.

You froze for a moment, then reached back and yanked the beanie from Tony’s hands, too late.

“What’s with your hair Y/N… Wait a sec, are you… you are!”

“What?” Bucky had walked away from the kitchen now, Steve in tow, and was standing just behind Tony, arms crossed over his chest.

“Our Y/N is actually a blondie! Aw why you hiding that from us Y/N, no shame in being a blonde.”

“Right, none at all,” you growled, trying to leave, but Sam cut you off.

“Seriously, why you hidin’ Y/N.”

‘“Oh we got another blonde!” Clint and Tony made eye contact, and smiled. You rolled your head back on your shoulders and groaned,  _ “Here we go…” _

“We have been missing out on so many opportunities!”

“So many jokes, so little time.”

“You tell one more dumb blonde joke and I will systematically take apart all of your Iron Man suits and hide all of your arrows,” you growled so low you could feel your throat vibrating. It wasn’t an idle threat either, you knew how to dismantle Tony’s suits, and where Clint kept his arrows, but neither of the men seemed perturbed.

“Aw c’mon Y/N, they’re just jokes! Don’t take ‘em so serious.”

“Really, just jokes? I’ve been listening to them since I was 5 Tony! 5! You think I haven’t heard them all already? And no Clint,” you cut him off when he looked about to speak up, “I don’t give a shit that you heard a new one the other day. I am sick of them.”

“Really Y/N, they don’t bother Spangles, don’t be so uptight.”

“Just cause they don’t bother Steve, who I’m sure has heard enough of them as well, doesn’t mean they can’t bother me. And while you two may not think they’re hurtful, they are, kay? Fucking drop it.”

But no, of course that wasn’t the end of it. Clint had now crossed the room to be in your line of sight, at least he looked slightly chastised. “Y/N, I just wanna make people laugh, what’s so bad about a couple of jokes?”

_ “Is he for real right now?” _ You stared at him, blinked twice and then slapped him across the face.

“I am not dumb. Steve is not dumb. Hair color has no goddamn control over a person’s intelligence level. But ya know what? Kids don’t know that. You know how hurtful those fucking jokes are as a kid? You know how shitty it is as a kid, who’s already freaked out over having powers they’re not supposed to, to have to hear that they’re dumb? Really shitty. SO shitty that hearing people they like tell those jokes, year later, and not understand how shitty they are, still burns.” You back away from Clint then, looking over at Tony, whose face is slack, shocked. “And you, the genius, to whom everyone else is stupid. You know how awful it is to hear those jokes from you?”

You could feel your eyes welling up with the pent up frustration of  _ years _ . You left the room then, stomping away from the silenced group.

A few hours later, someone knocked on your door. 

“I don’t care who you are, go away,” you mumbled forcefully into your pillow. You were splayed out on your stomach, ignoring the world. But whoever was at your door, came in anyway.

“Y/N?” It was Steve.

“You okay?” And Bucky.

You groaned in response, not bothering to turn over as one of them shut your door. They both sat on your bed, one on either side of your torso.

“What’d’ya want?” you asked into your pillow.

“Just checkin’ on ya,” Bucky spoke soothingly, placing his metal hand on your back and rubbing small circles.

“‘M fine.”

A moment passed, then, “I never really understood the jokes,” Steve muttered. It sounded like he was facing away from you.

You turned you head in his direction, Bucky still rubbing your back.”I don’t think they meant to be hurtful really,” you said softly. You didn’t want Steve to think the others thought badly of him.

He turned to you and smiled a little, “I know, I know Tony and Clint just mean to be funny. They’ll pick on anyone. They don’t mean anything by it.”

You nodded. You knew that too, but words could still hurt.

Another moment passed.

“It still means a lot that you’d speak up for me when I didn’t know to.” You met Steve’s gaze then, tilting your head a little.

“He didn’t realize the jokes could be hurtful, so they didn’t hurt him, but you spoke up for him anyway,” Bucky smiled and he stopped rubbing your back but rested his hand there still, “it was sweet of you Y/N.”

You turned your head and met Bucky’s eyes and smiled back at him. Steve rested a hand on the back of your head.

“I’d like to see your real hair color Y/N.”

“Me too, I bet you’re even prettier as a blonde,” Bucky agreed. You snorted, closing your eyes, but then replied,

“I’ll make an appointment tomorrow.”

It took a few treatments to remove the dye you’d been using, but you were back to your natural color. You’d gone to the appointment alone, but apparently Tony had gotten his A.I. to tell him where you were going, and had paid for your treatments in advance. He was several hundred dollars into working his way back into your good graces. 

Smiling to yourself, you walked back to the tower, and into the elevator.

“Hello Miss. Y/L/N, where would you like to go?” the A.I. asked.

“Where is everyone at F.R.I.D.A.Y?”

“Everyone is in the common room but Mr. Stark and Miss. Romanoff,” she answered.

“Would you call them to the common room for me?”

“Of course Miss. Y/L/N, would you like to go to the common room?”

“Yes please,” you laughed lightly.

When the doors opened, and you stepped out, Sam’s was the first face you saw.

“Damn Y/N, blonde suits you!” You gave him a smirk and a half hug.

“Thanks Sam.”

“Holy shit!” That was Clint.

Tony came in and almost dropped the robot arm he was carrying, but gave you a megawatt smile. Nat, who was right behind him shot you her trademark half-smile and a head nod, “Looking good  _ sestra”. _

Bucky and Steve, who were across the room, were giving you warm smiles, equal parts proud and pleased. 


End file.
